Separation of ethanol from isopropanol by azeotropic distillation

ABSTRACT

Ethanol is difficult to separate from isopropanol by conventional distillation or rectification because of the proximity of their boiling points. Ethanol can be readily separated from isopropanol by azeotropic distillation. Effective agents are acetonitrile and methylene chloride.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method for separating ethanol from isopropanol using certain organic liquids as the agent in azeotropic distillation.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

Azeotropic distillation is the method of separating close boiling compounds or azeotropes from each other by carrying out the distillation in a multiplate rectification column in the presence of an added liquid, said liquid forming an azeotrope with one or both of the compounds to be separated. Its presence on each plate of the rectification column alters the relative volatility in a direction to make the separation on each plate greater and thus require either fewer plates to effect the same separation or make possible a greater degree of separation with the same number of plates. The azeotrope forming agent is introduced with the feed to a continuous column. The azeotrope forming agent and the more volatile component are taken off as overhead product and the less volatile component comes off as bottoms product. The usual methods of separating the azeotrope former from the more volatile component are cooling and phase separation or solvent extraction.

The usual method of evaluating the effectiveness of azeotropic distillation agents is the change in relative volatility of the compounds to be separated. Table 1 shows the degree of separation or purity obtainable by theoretical plates at several relative volatilities. Table 1 shows that a relative volatility of at least 1.2 is required to get an effective separation by rectification.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         Effect of Relative Volatility on Theoretical Stage Requirements.               Separation Purity,                                                                         Relative Volatility                                                Both Products                                                                              1.02   1.1    1.2  1.3 1.4 1.5  2.0 3.0                            (Mole Fraction)                                                                            Theoretical Stages at Total Reflux                                 ______________________________________                                         0.999       697    144    75   52  40  33   19  12                             0.995       534    110    57   39  30  25   14  9                              0.990       463    95     49   34  26  22   12  7                              0.98        392    81     42   29  22  18   10  6                              0.95        296    61     31   21  16  14    8  4                              0.90        221    45     23   16  12  10    5  3                              ______________________________________                                    

There are a number of commercial processes which produce complex mixtures of alcohols, e.g. the Fischer-Tropsch process which produces a series of homologous alcohols. Two of the commonest alcohols usually present are ethanol, B.P.=78° C. and isopropanol, B.P=82° C. The relative volatility between these two is 1.18 which makes it very difficult to separate them by conventional rectification. Azeotropic distillation would be an attractive method of effecting the separation of ethanol from isopropanol if agents can be found that (1) will create a large apparent relative volatility between ethanol and isopropanol and (2) are easy to recover from the ethanol. Table 2 shows the relative volatility required to obtain 99% purity. With no agent, the relative volatility is 1.18 and 75 actual plates are required. With an agent giving a relative volatility of 2.0, only 16 plates are required.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         Theoretical and Actual Plates Required vs. Relative                            Volatility for 1-butanol-2-Pentanol Separation                                 Relative                                                                              Theoretical Plates Required                                                                      Actual Plates Required                                Volatility                                                                            At Total Reflux, 99% Purity                                                                      75% Efficiency                                        ______________________________________                                         1.18   56                75                                                    1.6    20                27                                                    2.0    12                16                                                    ______________________________________                                    

OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a process or method of azeotropic distillation that will enhance the relative volatility of ethanol from isopropanol in their separation in a rectification column. It is a further object of this invention to identify organic compounds which in addition to the above constraints, are stable, can be separated from ethanol and recycled to the azeotrope column with little decomposition.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The objects of this invention are to provide a process for separating ethanol from isopropanol which entails the use of certain organic compounds as the agent in azeotropic distillation.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                         Effective Azeotropic Distillation Agents For                                   Separating Ethanol From Isopropanol                                                              Relative                                                     Compounds         Volatility                                                   ______________________________________                                         None              1.18                                                         Carbon tetrachloride                                                                             1.25                                                         Acetonitrile      1.35                                                         Methylene chloride                                                                               2.05 *                                                       ______________________________________                                          * Data Obtained in a Multiplate Column                                   

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

I have discovered that certain organic compounds will greatly improve the relative volatility of ethanol to isopropanol and permit the separation of ethanol from isopropanol by rectification when employed as the agent in azeotropic distillation. Table 3 lists the compounds that I have found to be effective. They are carbon tetrachloride, acetonitrile and methylene chloride.

THE USEFULNESS OF THE INVENTION

The usefulness or utility of this invention can be demonstrated by referring to the data presented in Tables 2 and 3. All of the successful agents show that ethanol can be separated from isopropanol by means of azeotropic distillation in a rectification column and that the ease of separation as measured by relative volatility is considerable.

WORKING EXAMPLES Example 1

Thirty grams of isopropanol, ten grams of ethanol and 40 grams of acetonitrile were charged to a vapor-liquid equilibrium still and refluxed for 15 hours. Analysis indicated a vapor composition of 73.9% isopropanol, 26.1% ethanol; a liquid composition of 78.6% isopropanol, 21.4% ethanol. This is a relative volatility of 1.3.

Example 2

Thirty grams of ethanol, 70 grams of isopropanol and 150 grams of methylene chloride were placed in the stillpot of a 5.6 theoretical plate glass perforated plate rectification column and refluxed for 1.5 hours. The overhead composition was 98.6% ethanol, 1.4% isopropanol; the bottoms composition was 58.2% ethanol, 41.8% isopropanol. This is a relative volatility of 2.05. 

I claim:
 1. A method for recovering ethanol from a mixture of ethanol and isopropanol which comprises distilling a mixture of ethanol and isopropanol in the presence of an azeotrope forming agent, recovering the ethanol and the azeotrope forming agent as overhead product and obtaining the isopropanol as bottoms product, wherein said azeotrope forming agent consists of one material selected from the group consisting of acetonitrile and methylene chloride. 